Shuttle changer loom



May 29, 1934 v. H. JENNINGS SHUTTLE CHANGER LOOM Filed Nov. 50. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l N. NNNLN.

May 29, 1934- v. H. JENNINGS 1,961,049

SHUTTLE CHANGER LOOM Filed Nov. 50'. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Il) 3 llc h r/\\"\ 63 66 I7 50 B/' v l5 FILEE |22 u ,3 b3 n` No @lo 50 y L I LJ so :graue-nim' Uictor H. Jenni gs *Mam Patented May 29, 1934 STATES SHUTTLE CHANGER LOOM Victor H. Jennings, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Crompton t Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 30, 1931, Serial No. 578,063

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shuttle changer looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide means for improving the manner of delivering the exhausted shuttle from 5 the lay.

In certain types of shuttle changing looms shifting shuttle boxes are employed which move at the time of shuttle change so that a normally inactive box receives the depleted shuttle, subsequent movement of the boxes to normal position being accompanied by ejection of the exhausted shuttle. The picker ordinarily does not share the shifting movement of the boxes and when the exhausted shuttle arrives in the normally inactive box the advancing point is likely to be imbedded in the hole in the picker. As a result the shifting of the boxes to normal position is accompanied by an inward camming of the exhausted shuttle the effect of which is to disturb its discharge and cause it improperly to approach the reservoir for empty shuttles. It is an important object of my present invention to provide means to be interposed between the picker and the incoming depleted shuttle so that subsequent movements of the shuttle incident to its ejection from the lay will not subject the shuttle to an undesired motion.

In the specific form of shuttle changer set forth herein the boxes rise so that the normally active top box can receive a fresh shuttle from the magazine, while the lower box receives the spent shuttle, and it is another object of my invention to provide the moving box structure with a guard or shield to move in front of the picker and be engaged by the incoming shuttle. This guard moves down with the box and since its surface is not pitted or grooved the point of the shuttle is not deflected during the ejecting operation.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the loom having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1,

: Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sections through a portion of the lay structure showing the boxes in different positions, and

Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views, the iirst showing the normal relation of the picker to the active shuttle, and the other showing the guard or stop interposed between the picker and the outgoing depleted shuttle.

Referring to the drawings, the lay l0 is shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2 as having a lay end ll extending therefrom which supports the picker spindle l2 along which the picker 13 slides. The picker stick 14 is propelled in the usual way to drive the picker along the spindle.

The rising box structure B is mounted on a rod 15 and has upper and lower boxes or cells l5 and 17, respectively, which are actuated byv the rod 15. A cover 18 is pivoted as at 19 to the box structure and carries a roll 20 positioned for engagement with cam plate 21 carried by the magazine M. The latter may be arranged to provide shuttles carrying filling either of one or more colors, but for the purposes of the present invention it is surlicient to show a magazine which will supply shuttles of one color only.

A platform 22 which forms part of the magazine may he held in position in any approved manler to support the shuttles awaiting transfer and is pushed back by a projection 23 extending upwardly from the box structure as suggested in Fig. 4. In this Way the shuttles are delivered one n at a time to the top box 16.

The binder 24 is secured to the lay so as to cooperate with both boxes and has curved upwardly extending iingers 25 shaped to assist entry of a shuttle into the top box. 26 serves its usual function of holding the binder against the shuttle. Guide plates 27 on the lay receive the guide tongues 28 which are rigid with the box structure.

It is suliicient for purposes of the present in vention to state that at the time of shuttle change the box structure will rise from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4 so that a new shuttle cl() can be transferred from the maga- Zine to the top box. rIhis shuttle rests on the floor 4l of the box structure which separates the two boxes and is moved down partly by gravity and partly by the action of the cover 18 when the boxes descend. The transfer may take place on back center with the box structure raised so that the depleted shuttle 5G, which is picked across from the opposite side or" the loom, can enter the lower box i7. It is this lower shuttle which is later to be discharged from the lay and the control of which forms the subject matter of my present invention.

In carrying my present improvements into effect I provide the box structure B with a small bracket 6G secured adjustably thereto by means of screws 61 passing through slots 62, and secure The binder spring a leather buffer or stop 63 to a vertical arm 64 formed as part of the bracket. The buffer or stop may be held to the arm in any approved manner, as by screws 65.

The stop is so located as to move to a position immediately in front of the picker with respect to the shuttle, that is, when the box rises to eleot transfer, stop 63 will move from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. '7 between the picker and the outer point. of the shuttle 50. The rising of the boxes is of course completed before the shuttle 50 is received in the box, and said shuttle therefore strikes the stop which preferably has a substantially flatA face 66 free from holes, cavities or depressions of any appreciable depth. Inasmuch as the stop is employed only on a change of shuttles, there is little tendency to form a hole or recess in the face 66. As a result, the subsequent operation of the box in discharging the shuttle 50 permits the latter to move forwardly freely as suggested in Fig. because of the fact l that the outer end of the shuttle can slide along a substantially flat unpitted face 66 of the stop.

Formerly discharge of the shuttle was accompanied by a retarding of the outer end due to embedding in the picker, a condition which will be understood by reference to Fig. 6. In this connection it is to be understood that the downward movement of the boxes occurs preferably when the lay is on front center so that the shuttle and the lower box 17 move down below the stationary binder, thus opening the front of said box to permit the shuttle to move outwardly by momentum derived from the lay. Any shuttle receiver may be provided for the spent shuttles.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple means for preventing the outgoing shuttle of a shuttle-changing loom from having the point thereof embedded in the hole of the picker, and for this reason the shuttle is free to move forwardly in a straight line when discharged. This result is accomplished by putting a stop on the box structure and raising said stop to a position in front of the picker prior to entry of the shuttle into the discharging box. The stop is only infrequently used so that its shuttle engaging face remains substantially smooth.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a shuttle changing loom operating with a lay having a stationary binder, a pair of aligned shuttle boxes movable with respect to the lay to be operatively related to the binder one at a time, the lower box normally being out of relation with respect to the binder and the upper box normally receiving the active shuttle, a picker for the box operatively' related to the binder, the lower box being raised to operative position with respect to the binder to receive a spent shuttle on shuttle changing operations of the loom, and a buifer moving with the lower box to lie between the picker and the spent shuttle received by the raised lower box, said buffer being of flexible material to transmit to the picker the force of the spent shuttle as the latter comes to rest, the shuttle thereafter moving away from the binder and out of the lower box without interference by the picker.

2. In a shuttle changing loom having a lay with a stationary binder and having two shuttle boxes one of which is normally operatively related to the binder and the other being normally open at the front, the boxes shifting at the time of shuttle change so that the normally inactive box is raised into operative relation with respect to the binder to receive the spent shuttle, after which the boxes return to normal position with the spent shuttle under the stationary binder, a picker to be in line with the shuttle box which is operatively related to the binder, and a buier to be moved in front of the picker by a shifting oi the boxes at the time of shuttle change so that the spent shuttle entering the box which is temporarily operatively related to the binder will be kept out of contact with the picker but will be stopped by having the momentum thereof arrested by a force transmitted through the buffer from the picker, the shuttle thereafter moving away from the binder and out of the lower box without interference by the picker.

3. In a shuttle changing loom having a lay with a stationary binder, top and bottom boxes movable one at a time into relative position with respect to the binder, the lower box normally being below the binder and open at the front and the top box normally to receive the active shuttle, said boxes to be raised at the time of shuttle change so that the spent shuttle enters the lower box 'which is temporarily operatively related to the binder, a bracket secured to the lower box below the path of movement of the shuttle therein, and a flexible buffer carried by the bracket and extending upwardly across the path of the shuttle, movement of the shuttle boxes at the time or shuttle change placing the buier between the spent shuttle and the picker so that the blow struck by the shuttle as the same is boxed is transferred through the buffer to the picker to be absorbed by the latter, the spent shuttle upon downward movement of the boxes moving away from the stationary binder and being dischargeable through the front of the lower box without engagement by the picker.

4. In a shuttle changing loom having a lay with a stationary binder, top and bottom boxes movable one at a time into relative position with respect to the binder, the lower box normally being below the binder and open at the front and the top box normally to receive the active shuttle, said boxes to be raised at the time of shuttle change so that the spent shuttle enters the lower box which is temporarily operatively related to the binder, a picker to be operatively related to the box in operative relation with respect to the binder, and a buffer having a substantially flat surface extending across the path of movement of the spent shuttle in the lower box, said buffer moving to a position between the incoming spent shuttle and the picker at the time of shuttle change, whereby the force of stopping the spent shuttle is transferred to the picker by the buffer and the flat face of the latter oifering no resistance to outward movement of the spent shuttle from the lower box when the latter returns to down position.

5. In a shuttle changing loom having a lay with a stationary binder, top and bottom boxes movable one at a time into relative position with respect to the binder, the lower box normally being below the binder and open at the front and the top box normally to receive the active shuttle, said boxes to be raised at the time of shuttle change so that the spent shuttle enters the lower box which is temporarily operatively related to the binder, a picker to be operatively related to the box which is operatively related to the binder, and a leather buffer extending across the path of movement of a shuttle in the lower box and movable when the boxes shift on a shuttle changing operation to a position immediately in front of the picker with respect to the spent shuttle VICTOR H. J ENNINGS. 

